Double Journal Entry #2

After playing Gardens of Times for the past week, I can see how the game reflects some of the principles of good games for learning:

Interaction—there is a lot of interaction between myself and this game world.  The other characters in the game frequently pop up and talk to me.  They give me new challenges, provide guidance about how to play the game, and give me feedback about how I’m doing.  Anytime I am stuck on what I should do next I can click on one of the icons for guidance about what I need to do in order to complete a mission.  I like that there are characters that talk to me; it makes the game more interesting, and I don’t feel like I’m in this by myself.

Production—this game gives me the opportunity to make my own decisions.  I can decide which setting I want to play in and how many times I want to play that setting.  I can build and decorate my garden in any way that I want.  I can visit neighbors and send them gifts.  I can choose to complete a mission, or pay to skip it.  I like the independence of this game; I don’t think I would like it as much if the game told me every move to make.  I like having choices because I feel like I’m in charge of the game.

Well Order Problems—this game is set up in levels; you have to master each one before moving on to the next.  I think this is a great strategy for game design.  It gives the gamer goals and is very motivating.  I like a challenge, so I’m always motivated to get to the next level.  There is a sense of accomplishment and excitement when you reach the next level because you don’t know what is coming next.  I think this type of game would be the most motivating for students.

Challenge and Consolidation—what I really like about this game is that you don’t just finish a level and move on; you have the option to revisit the level and play again.  This gives you the opportunity to try different strategies and become an expert at this level.  The more I played a level, the better I got at remembering where items were, and the faster I could complete the level.  I also like how this game rewards you for revisiting a previous level; it gives me more motivation to try to master each level.

Just in Time and On Demand—this game gives you information when you need it.  I think this makes the game much easier and less intimidating, because you are not bombarded with all of the information at the beginning of the game.  If I was given everything at the beginning, I would never remember it all, and I would more than likely become frustrated and quit.  It makes so much more sense to be given information about new levels and missions as you are ready.

Pleasantly Frustrating—what frustrates me about this game is not looking for the items or completing the levels; but decorating the garden.  This may sound silly, but I am a perfectionist, and trying to get the garden to look how I want it to is what frustrates me J  I think I spend more time rearranging my garden than actually playing the levels. 

Explore, Think Laterally, and Rethink Goals—I strategize and reassess my goals every time I play this game.  Sometimes, I want to move right on to the next level after finishing the last, and sometimes I want to keep playing the level I’m on to master it or gain more points.  Sometimes, I want to complete the missions to gain extras, and sometimes I don’t.  This game gives the gamer the chance to think through what they can do and act on it.  You are able to change your goals.

Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge—the other characters in this game have knowledge about the levels and missions, and what needs to be done to accomplish them.  They continually pop up in the game to share this information with the gamer.  I like this because I don’t feel like I’m on my own and I know I can get some help when I am stuck and don’t know what to do.  If it wasn’t for these other characters, I might not be able to navigate my way through the game.  This is important because if a gamer cannot figure out how to play the game, they would most likely give up.

Performance Before Competence—this principle is definitely true of this game.  I have never played this game before and I had no idea what I was doing when I started.  I just jumped in and started exploring and playing.  This principle is important because most people don’t go into a new game knowing how to play; the game needs to provide the opportunity for the gamer to still play, without being competent.  There needs to be the chance to learn as you go.  If I couldn’t, again, I would probably get frustrated and quit.